0Shares

A 3D printed rib implant at Morriston Hospital in Wales has saved the life of Peter Maggs, a 71-year-old patient suffering from muscle cancer.

A sensitive case affecting Mr. Maggs’ chest wall, Morriston surgeons opted for the alternative treatment when considering the potential complications of the operation.

Due to Mr. Maggs’ successful recovery, the process is set to become model case for further procedures of this kind at the hospital, contributing to a number of national, and potentially international, firsts for 3D printed implants.

3D printing-enabled reconstruction of the chest wall

Ira Goldsmith is a consulting cardiothoracic surgeon who has been working at Morriston since 2009. Handling benign diseases and cancer, Goldsmith’s expertise lies in minimally invasive surgery.

Describing the nature of Mr. Maggs’ tumor, Goldsmith said, “It was a very extensive growth that needed to be removed. However, removing it also meant removing part of the breastbone and three ribs.”

Removing the ribs had the potential to destabilize Mr. Maggs’ entire chest wall.

The procedure

The surgical team had to move some of Mr. Magg’s healthy back muscle to cover the potential implant. The remaining bone of Mr. Maggs’ ribcage was also narrow and soft, making any device without a custom fit exceedingly risky.

Goldsmith explains, “Traditionally the operation would have used a cement prosthesis, prepared at the time of surgery,”

“Although it can be fairly substantial it is not a precise fit, and it can move, causing problems such as dislocation.”

Morriston technicians designed a prosthesis that fit perfectly with the remaining bone using CT scan data. Image via Morriston Hospital

Beau Jackson is Senior Journalist at 3D Printing Industry. With a longstanding commitment to the site's content, she is credited with producing more articles than any other author in its history. Well-versed in the latest 3D printing research and legal/regulatory challenges, her repertoire spans aerospace, automotive, maritime, medical and creative industries. She is a keen speaker and active representative of the company at key additive manufacturing events.